Austrian Holiday

The Lower Wye Group chose Austria for its biennial holiday and 23 members have just returned from a week walking in Seefeld in the Tyrol, organised for them by Bath & West Country Walks.

The first day’s 10-mile walk took the group along the beautiful river valley through charming Tyrolean villages to the town of Sharnitz and over the German border to the larger town of Mittenwald before returning by bus along the scenic route to the hotel.  Day 2 dawned damp and misty with conditions unsuitable for a walk in the mountains so an 8-mile circular walk was enjoyed alongside the lake at Wildmoos passing the golf course and along the valley to the magnificent Lottensee Lake, where we protected the baby ducks from the marauding perch, before returning to Seefeld via the pretty village of Mosern.

At last the weather brightened and the next day saw the group taking the Rosshutte funicular and cablecar to the end of the Seefelder Joch before walking onto Seefelder Spitz with breathtaking mountain views.

The intrepid majority continued on with the local mountain guide to cross the snow and scree fields to reach the cablecar at Harmelekofp where they rejoined the others to return to the Rosshutte station for a welcome coffee and küchen before walking back to the hotel.

Two 8 and 10 mile walks through wonderful scenery admiring the profusion of wild flowers and visiting warm and welcoming alm houses followed, as well as a free day in the fascinating town of Innsbruck. 

A comment by one of the group summed up a thoroughly enjoyable week: “Great location, accommodation and hospitality as well as great walking.  Could make a habit of schnapps to warm us up on a walk. Who would have thought we’d be having a snowball fight in June? Down in the valley the abundance and variety of alpine flowers was amazing.”